Dr. Lachie Dick Takes Professional Aggregate
by CHARLIE MARTIN
For the 11th year, the first weekend of March saw pipers compete in the Redding Bagpipe Competition in California. After a year of pandemic break, where virtual competitions were held, “Redding” helped start the in-person competitive year for California.
Besides the typical Amateur light music and piobaireachd events, the competition offered virtual, video-submission, professional events similar to the pandemic year. Added this year, a professional medley event (Not WUSPBA sanctioned) was offered which was judged not only by the official judge but, shown to the ceilidh audience who chose the “people’s choice” for an additional prize. The competition organizers, the St. Florian Pipers Society, wanted to continue to offer, and foster, professional events but were concerned about low in-person availability in the professional grade. Ultimately, there was an international “virtual” turnout from California, North Carolina, and Scotland.
Open/Professional
MSR (5 entries)
- Stuart Robinson
- Lachie Dick
- Charlie Morris
- Mark Elliott
- Tony Adkins
Judge: Bruce Gandy
Hornpipe/Jig (4 entries)
- Lachie Dick
- Charlie Morris
- Stuart Robinson
- Tony Adkins
Judge: Jack Lee
Piobaireachd (5 entries)
- Lachie Dick
- Charlie Morris
- Mark Elliott
- Tony Adkins
- Stuart Robinson
Judge: Seumas Coyne
MEDLEY (2 entries)
- Lachie Dick
- Tony Adkins
Judge: Bruce Gandy / and audience
Lachie Dick won the audience People’s Choice award for the Medley. The medley was not considered for the aggregate prize.
The Professional Aggregate Award went to Lachie Dick.
Prize money for each event was $150 for first place, $100 for Second, $50 for Third. The People’s Choice earned an additional $100.
The aggregate winners in the amateur events are:
Grade 1: Abraham McCarty
Grade 2: Malachi Johansen
Grade 3: Brian Schwartzberg
Grade 4: Duncan MacLeod
The Dr. Dan Reid Memorial Best Piper Award, chosen by the combined judging panel went to Duncan MacLeod from Washington, state.
All aggregate winners received the full Dr. Dan Reid Memorial recording library.
Full Amateur results can be found on the WUSPBA Northern-Branch Facebook page and The Redding Bagpipe Competition’s web and Facebook pages.
It was truly great to be back to playing for judges, and each other, in person. Also in WUSPBA that weekend, the Phoenix Scottish Games hosted a suite of competitions for a grand start to the competitive year in the west!
A huge thanks to the esteemed judging panel for the weekend; Jack Lee, Bruce Gandy, Seumas Coyne, and Liz Tubbs. A continued thank you to the St. Andrew’s Society of San Francisco Foundation for their continued support.